Lodgepole Indigenous Resource Center officially opens on campus

Lodgepole Indigenous Resource Center officially opens on campus

Calgary, AB – Students, faculty, staff and the ACAD Elder Council gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Alberta College of Art + Design’s (ACAD) Lodgepole Center. The event, hosted by ACAD President + CEO, Dr. Daniel Doz, included speeches, a sacred pipe ceremony and a tour hosted by ACAD’s Indigenous Liaison, Tina Kinnee-Brown.

The Lodgepole Center will provide a venue that will engage and inform all levels of ACAD regarding Alberta’s rich indigenous heritage. As well, the space will host programming on traditional teachings open to all students and staff, and provide support to Indigenous students on campus. ACAD’s indigenous student population is 11.2 per cent, the largest of any urban post-secondary campus in Alberta.

“The evolution of the Lodgepole Center has come from our conversations with our indigenous alumni and is an example of how collaboration creates success at the college,” said Dr. Daniel Doz, ACAD President + CEO. “This space is available to all who seek to learn about our province’s indigenous heritage and engage our students, faculty and staff. I look forward to seeing what great things come out of this space in the months to come.”

The name, Lodgepole Center, was given to the space by the ACAD Elder Council to reflect the supportive nature of the lodgepole, traditionally placed at the center of the tipi and which carries the weight of the covering. The space will facilitate Elder advising and support, traditional ceremonies and workshops, sharing circles and more. All members of ACAD are welcome to attend as the Lodgepole Center is a dedicated safe and all-inclusive space.

The opening of our Lodgepole Center reinforces our commitment to our students, alumni, faculty and staff and wouldn’t have happened without the continuing and generous support of the Government of Alberta (Access to the Future Fund Initiative) and the Suncor Energy Foundation.

“At Suncor, and through the Suncor Energy Foundation, we’ve had an opportunity to work alongside many Aboriginal communities across Canada, including those who are part of Treaty 7. What we’ve discovered, and continue to learn, is how deeply we are all connected,” said Paul Gardner, Suncor Energy Foundation board chair and senior vice president, Human Resources, Suncor. “It’s our hope that through places like the Lodgepole Centre we can continue learning through celebration, dialogue and connection.”

All campus members are welcome and encouraged to drop by the new center on the upper third floor of ACAD. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.